THE ETIOLOGY AND PREVENTION OF FUNCTIONAL INSTABILITY OF THE FOOT

TLDR

The study aims to discuss the mechanism underlying proprioceptive deficits following foot and ankle ligament injuries. Eighty‑five patients with foot or ankle ligament injuries were treated by one of three methods and followed for six to fifteen months to assess outcomes. Ligamentous injuries frequently cause proprioceptive deficits that lead to foot giving‑way, but these deficits and symptoms can be substantially reduced by post‑injury coordination exercises. No additional metadata is provided.

Abstract

1. Eighty-five patients have been studied soon after a ligamentous injury at the foot or ankle. These patients were treated in one of three ways, and in fifty-six patients the results were evaluated six to fifteen months after injury. 2. It is concluded: a) that ligamentous injuries at the foot and ankle frequently produce a proprioceptive deficit affecting the muscles of the injured leg; b) that such a deficit is responsible for the symptom of "giving way" of the foot; and c) that the incidence of both the proprioceptive deficit and the symptom of "giving way" can substantially be reduced by treatment after injury with the coordination exercises described in this study. 3. The mechanism of production of the proprioceptive defect is discussed.